Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Something A LIttle Bit Scary

I'm particularly proud of my edge stitches. And the pleats make me swoon.

Not only is it fully-lined, but it also has four roomy interior pockets.

So why a bag? Why sewing? What changed my mind about that particular craft?

First, I have never been able to find the perfect knitting bag. There is always something a wee bit wrong with every bag that I've tried - even though I have loved many of them. When I found Style Stitches, I fell head over heels in love with the patterns, and could see the possibilities in learning how to make my own.

It occurred to me recently that I've had three problems with sewing.

One, I am just not a quilter, no matter what I've tried. (The one caveat - if I had the time and skills I could easily get into art quilting.) I'm not sure of the why, and I don't necessarily think I need a why. It is what it is. The fact that we also have two fabulous quilters providing our family with treasured heirlooms - thank you Mom and Aunt Suzy! - also means that there is really no need whatsoever for me to make quilts.

Two, the one time I tried making anything other than a quilt I let my mom purchase the fabric for me. (She was VERY excited that I wanted to learn how to sew.) Unfortunately, I detested her choice...and thus detested the project, which I never finished.

Three, I am a very, very slow sewist who needs lots of time to focus and puzzle out the directions. Mom and I think too differently for her to be of help to me in this, and unfortunately I didn't have someone teach me when I was small enough to learn it intuitively. Given the restraints on my time I chose to do things that I am very good at and don't have to fuss over. I'm a lazy crafter that way.*

I can't tell you how happy I am that I was able to find fabric and patterns that made my heart sing. It took me almost the full week to make my bag, and I enjoyed every minute of the challenge. Nope, it's not perfect...and I could point you to a half dozen wee errors. BUT, I did MUCH better than I expected and wound up with a bag that I absolutely adore. Even better, I have the confidence now to attack other patterns.

*I am mulling over a post on the topic of my crafty laziness...or rather on the fact that I generally only do things that come easily to me. It's an interesting topic....at least to me!s